Bulletin Number Four 1984

— Applied Translation — Interpretation — Theory o f Translation — Specialized Translation 'lite ra ry Background for Translation' and 'Specialized Translation' are required courses, though students who have completed a similar course in their under- graduate studies may be exempted from the former. The other five are electives. S ta ff and Research W ork The Department has six teachers: P.S.Y. Sun, S.H. Jin, R. Mok, M.S. Ng, S.S.C. Chau and J. Minford. A ll o f them hold doctorate degrees, and are experienced translation teachers. While Chau special­ izes in translation theory, the others have literature background. Apart from individual research in various areas in translation pedagogy and Chinese and Western literature, they also combine their efforts in compilation and translating projects. Minford is concurrently Acting Director o f the Research Centre for Translation. As the MA programme in translation and the Part-time Degree Programmes are developing and expanding, the Translation Department w ill be recruiting more teaching staff in the near future. Centre for Hong Kong Studies The Institute o f Social Studies was established in September 1982, as a result o f the reorganization o f the former Institute o f Social Studies and the Humanities. There are now two research centres under the new Institute, one for Hong Kong studies and another for contemporary Asian studies. In view o f the increasing interest in Hong Kong studies among the academic staff o f the University and the demand for reliable and accurate information on our society by the government and the general public, the Centre for Hong Kong Studies was set up to develop and coordinate interdisciplinary research on Hong Kong's social, political and economic development. In the 1980s and beyond, Hong Kong is confronted w ith a series o f problems which have serious implications for its society and economy. These problems, some o f which are unique to Hong Kong, may be the result o f either changes in the international scene or modernization and industriali zation. The rapid social and economic changes o f the past few decades and the uncertain economic and political future would aggravate these problems if they are not handled in an intelligent and imaginative manner. With a view to solving these problems, short-term as well as long-term, the Centre for Hong Kong Studies carries out various projects to explore, analyse and measure them and to seek policy recommendations for their management. The appli cation o f social science to the solution o f practical problems is underscored. The Centre is at present sponsoring more than fo rty research projects undertaken by members o f the Faculties o f Arts, Business Administration, Social Science and o f the School o f Education. The research projects fall into the following six research areas: (1) Structural Changes in the Hong Kong Economy Focus o f the projects is on the patterns o f change in the structure o f the economy in the 1980s. Below are some o f the studies on the various subject areas: Technology and employment . Automation and its economic implications • Technological development and structural unemployment/underemployment . Business cycles and employment problems Hong Kong's economic growth and economic policy . The formulation and evaluation o f govern­ ment's economic policies • The rise o f Hong Kong as a world financial centre and its banking system • The economic relationships between Hong Kong and China (especially the Special . Economic Zones and the oilfields in the South China Sea) Economic and industrial outlooks . Compilation o f Hong Kong's national accounts and economic indicators • Economic and demographic forecasts and their applications. (2) Social Problems and Community Services The main subject areas include: . The problems o f aging and service delivery . The demand for child care and patterns o f child-rearing . Coping behaviour o f the unemployed poor Studies w ill also be carried out in the following areas: 9 RECENT DEVELOPMENTS